Paintings of hope created by women with emotional and physical scars from abusive relationships will be on display for the first time at an exhibition to promote their work and the shelter that houses them.
About 30 paintings by women who are survivors of domestic violence, have suffered abuse or were victims of human trafficking will be shown at the Dubai International Art Centre from Wednesday.
Artists and volunteers have been working with residents of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children for more than a year and organised workshops to help the women express themselves.
“At first, some of the women were a bit apprehensive as many of them had never painted before but they were curious and willing to learn. This is why we started off by painting on smaller canvases. We then moved on to larger canvases and the ladies worked on these as a group project. The more they experimented, the more their confidence grew,” said Fiona Petrocelli, a volunteer board member at the art centre who led the project.
“Collectively, I feel these paintings reflect a spirit of fortitude that I can’t even imagine or comprehend but at the same time each one of them seem to covey a feeling of calmness and serenity. I will never know or understand the true meaning behind each brush stroke. But ultimately, for me, having shared in the experience of their creation, each painting is a representation of moving on.”
The paintings use rich colours depicting landscapes from a lone sailboat setting off on a dark sea to a black-and-yellow butterfly perched on a flower and the spire of a mosque framed by bright pink flowers.
Volunteers from the centre first began by arranging sewing classes for the women last year and then moved on to painting and mosaic workshops. During classes, they explained that art required time, patience and that each woman would find her own individual style.
Emirati artist Fatma Lootah believes art has the power to heal.
“Art is a soul thereby it guides the person to concentrate on their inner beauty, when that is discovered, everything else seems to disappear,” said the artist who will the show’s guest of honour.
Officials too said the interactions were therapeutic for the women in the shelter.
“When the women were painting, they were in another happy world. I was very impressed to see them relaxed, said Asma Al Suwaidi, a senior activities coordinator at DFWAC.
“The art workshops really helped the women to release stress, relax, express themselves, forget about their personal problems and focus on their creativity.”
Funds from the show will go toward supporting the women and children who reside at the non-profit shelter that was established in 2007 to offer protection and support services.
“This art exhibition is a great way to boost the confidence of the women behind the paintings; the funds will help support women empowerment programs and support women in need,” said Ghaya Al Habtoor, DFWAC’s marketing executive.
“This is also a great exposure for the foundation, its services and facilities. We would like the community to know more about the foundation and its services in helping abused women and children in order to have a society free of violence.”
The foundation provides shelter to women of all nationalities who were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking.
The helpline received 3,461 calls, of which 935 involved requests for help and advice in 2015 alone.
The organisation handled 108 cases of violence against women, 11 child abuse cases and one human trafficking case in the third quarter of last year, marking a slight increase compared to the 115 cases handled in the same period in 2015.
A specialised team deals with women and children who call its 800 111 helpline, email help@dfwac.ae or text messages to 5111.
The shelter also receives cases that are referred by the courts and police.
Seasons of Change art exhibition by DFWAC will show from September 6 to 16 at Gallery 76 at the Dubai International Art Centre
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Results
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m
Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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